Game of Thrones

[Roger]

Maester Cressen the same age as Davos and Stannis? Well that doesn't completely ruin the point of his character at all.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Hopefully they'll make him up to look older.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

To the point where he cannot walk through the castle or up to the rookery?
Somehow I think they are going to drop the ball significantly with these changes.

I really don't see why they feel the need to change names, ages and other details however small. What next, change the sigil of the greyjoy's to a karp because the Kraken implies tentacle raep?

 

[Jaqen H'ghar]

Jaqen H'ghar omg I can't contain my excitement.

 

[Cthulhu]

Yay Germans, .

 

[Cthulhu]

I'd be significantly offended by such a change. .

Also, like the special effects video - never saw / noticed how even the castle interiors was CG, . Subtle, I guess.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Winter Is Coming is speculating that Roy Dotrice has been cast as Wisdom Hallyne, leader of the Guild of Pyromancers. Dotrice was originally cast as Pycelle, but was forced to bow out due to health issues; additionally, he has read four of the five audiobooks for the series (all except A Feast for Crows), for which he has received basically universal acclaim. I fervently hope that this is the case.

more speculation here

 

[Ite]

I couldn't stand Dotrice's audiobooks, I stopped after two chapters, mostly because he mispronounced almost everything. But he's a fine actor and if someone tells him how to properly say Baratheon I would love to see him in the show.

He would have been a good Pycelle, but I love Julian Glover. General Veers/Walter Donovan/Aragog ftw!

 

[Ⓐaron]

According to Martin there was never intended to be any definitive way to pronounce anything, but the show has introduced its own pronunciation canon. Since the audiobooks (except possibly the latest one) were recorded before the show was produced, it would make sense that they'd probably have their own idiosyncratic pronunciations.

 

[Ite]

I figured that was the case, but my status quo bias has prevented me from enjoying Dotrice's version.

 

[Dumb Apple]

And if we wanted to get super technical about it, even in the "Canon" there would probably be different ways of pronouncing it, given the different languages present and the fact that you're dealing with seven kingdoms on one half and a bunch of free cities on the other.

<<" Look at how vastly different "English" can sound and be pronounced.

 

[Masamune]

Finished with the show. Loved it.

Haven't read the books (yes, shame on me). Someone bought me the second book for Christmas one year, it seems without realizing it was part of a trilogy. You can't hitch onto a fantasy epic half-way through, so I didn't bother trying.

Favourite characters of Season 1 were easily Jon Snow & Tyrion Lannister. Two very sincere and somewhat downtrodden characters who can empathize with being familial outcasts. I've heard people say that HBO made Tyrion too much of a comic relief character, such as when he was accidentally KO'ed before the Battle of the Camps. Gotta admit I lol'ed at that part.

Speaking of, it was such a cop-out to have the battle off-screen. At least let me see the moment Jamie 'Prince Smarming' Lannister had his ass handed to him. I understand if they don't have the budget for a full-scale battle but they could at least afforded us that honour.

Least favourite? Beside the obvious? (every Lannister bar Tyrion, Viserys) Would have to be Sansa. Whining little cow. Too busy dreaming about playing princess that she couldn't see Joffrey was an evil toad. What more did she need? 'The Imperial March' to play every time he walks into the room?

And judging from the artwork, isn't Cersei Lannister supposed to be something of a sexpot? The actress playing her is attractive enough, but they made her look kinda dowdy in the show.

Interesting that with Sean Bean's character dead, I wonder which big actor will be getting top billing for season two?

 

[Ⓐaron]

I hadn't actually watched the last two episodes before today. I just watched "Baelor." It was even better done than I expected it to be from people's reactions. Pretty much a flawless episode; I didn't even mind that we didn't see any of the battle because everything else was so skilfully done. Now onto "Fire and Blood."

Also, it's not a trilogy; there are a projected seven books. However, only the first five have been released.

 

[Cthulhu]

Interesting that with Sean Bean's character dead, I wonder which big actor will be getting top billing for season two?

Tyrion, bitch. The fucker's pretty much the most constant actor in the book series, . Dany also plays a big role in books 2 and 3, although I don't particularly like the actrice (or how she plays the role, or the role itself). Too much victimization (and

Spoiler

buttraep,

.)

 

[Ⓐaron]

Game of Thrones wins Best New Show at Television Critics Assocation Awards

Also, Dotrice's casting as Hallyne is confirmed, and Welsh actor Robert Pugh has been cast as the wildling Craster.

 

[Roger]

Oh Hallyne, good!


Was he cool? Totally blanking on what he was like.

 

[Cthulhu]

Oh Hallyne, good!


Was he cool? Totally blanking on what he was like.

afaicr, just some guy with a side-role as the guy with the molotov cocktails .

Also, that site is annoying. Do not autoplay videos, ever.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Michael McElhatton has been cast as Roose Bolton. I have to say he definitely looks the part.

 

[Cthulhu]

. I don't remember much of Bolton though, which means he didn't have that significant of a role (although he does get mentioned a lot).

 

[Ⓐaron]

Spoiler: (light spoiler)

After reading Dance, you won't be able to forget him. Though it's his son who will really be blazoned into your memory.

 

[Masamune]

Spoiler

So what would anyone else have done in Ned's position, after Robert's death? He had two sensible options presented to him. First of all, he could have sided with Renley and taken over the castle. We didn't see much of Renley in this series, but I'd wager he'd make a darn sight better ruler than Cersei/Joffrey. So, that's one fuck-up Stark made. Secondly, Littlefinger advises him to play along for now, secure his daughter as queen and should Joffrey become difficult, expose the Lannisters and install Renley. Not a bad plan. Again, Stark was too honourable naive to take it. And in a way, I don't blame Littlefinger for turning on him.

So yeah, Stark went with the worst possible idea, and had already screwed himself over by confronting Cersei previously about her inbreds, when he should have kept that card close to his chest. Derp.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Spoiler

Some variant of the second option where he simply plays the loyal servant while hoarding information about the queen's treachery probably would have worked out the best in the long run. Openly backing Renly might have worked all right for the time being.

Spoiler: Major season two spoiler, do not click if you haven't read at least past p. 502 in the mass-market (Chapter 34)

Spoiler: (Catelyn IV)

However, considering Renly is murdered through sorcery halfway through the second book, it's unclear whether this would have been a successful long-term strategy. It's difficult to gauge what would have happened differently if Ned had backed Renly, but it's unlikely his murderer would have felt any more charitable towards him if he were holding the Iron Throne. After that point Ned probably would have been executed as a traitor - so, not terribly different from what happened with the course of action he took.

Of the characters we know, Daenerys still probably has the most legitimate claim to the throne, at least if we're going by blood-based succession laws and assuming

Spoiler: character parentage speculation

Jon isn't Rhaegar and Lyanna's legitimate son

. The character who actually has the best claim overall has not been introduced yet and will not be until at least season five, probably.

 

[Roger]

Spoiler

I doubt Renly would have been as good a King as all that, considering he had army that dwarved the other three Kings combined and used it to throw party after party while trucking up to King's Landing at a snail's pace, then cut the better half off from their supplies at the first sign of trouble. He at least is a pretty incompetent warleader.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Spoiler

He's utterly incompetent at war but he at least understands how to please the populace. He's pretty much the only ruler in Westeros that gives even the appearance of giving a shit about the well-being of the general population, given he actually distributed food to them.

 

[Cthulhu]

Of the characters we know, Daenerys still probably has the most legitimate claim to the throne, at least if we're going by blood-based succession laws and assuming

Spoiler: character parentage speculation

Jon isn't Rhaegar and Lyanna's legitimate son

. The character who actually has the best claim overall has not been introduced yet and will not be until at least season five, probably.

Spoiler

Please not Jon, he's had too much epic assigned to him already (just read past the part where he got lord commandr'd) and should die already

Also, a request, can DwD-spoilers please be marked separately from pre-DwD spoilers? tyvm .